We Are (Not) Just Friends
by LadyChocolateLover
Summary: Hermione Granger, bookstore owner, was a walking cliché, and she was well aware of it. Draco Malfoy, lawyer, was also a walking cliché, but he would never admit it. They both had relatively normal, happy lives. And then, one day, they met. [Muggle AU] [Shortfic]
1. I

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J. K. Rowling.**

 _Much love to my beta,_ **sarenia** , _for her help, enthusiasm, and ideas. This wouldn't be here without her amazing help :)_

* * *

 **WE ARE (NOT) JUST FRIENDS**

 **I.**

Hermione Granger was a walking cliché, and she was well aware of it.

She owned a charming little café-bookshop, _The Winter's Tale_ (because that's where her name came from), specialized in female authors, and, because she just loved to read, she also had a nice library at her flat, complete with a grumpy fat cat and old carpets.

She was young and single, and would probably die old and single, because her love life was completely nonexistent, a fantasy at best. However, she was happy alone, _thank you very much_ , and she cared more about historical gossip (did you know Oscar Wilde almost married the woman who would later be Bram Stoker's wife?) than keeping up with men's ridiculous expectations and hobbies.

She drank hot chocolate in the mornings and tea in the afternoons. She wore collared shirts, structured skirts and cute Oxford heels to work. She didn't go to parties (she already had enough of those in college), but she loved going to theatres, museums, art galleries, and concerts. She kept a bullet journal in an old notebook, which worked as a planner, list-maker, photo album, and everything in between. She was, in a word, an old soul.

Draco Malfoy, on the other hand, was also a walking cliché, but he would never recognize it, _no matter what Theo said_.

He was a lawyer, a very good one at that, and he would inherit his grandfather's law firm when his father, current owner and CEO, retired. Tall and blond, he was handsome and he knew it, and wore suits every day of the week because he knew he looked _positively edible_ in those.

He always had things to do, and was connected to his phone 24/7, revising his digital planner – _why would you use a paper one when a digital one is just more practical?_ –, arguing, answering work-related emails, and, occasionally, texting. His love life was, also, completely nonexistent, because he just didn't have time for those things.

Running every morning and some nights to discharge energy, he enjoyed good food and good wine, and kept a structured, unimaginative life. He read, quite a lot, and watched documentaries, quite a lot.

They both had relatively normal, happy lives.

And then, one day, they met.

* * *

"Hannah, don't worry, it's perfectly alright. Yes, yes, I will manage perfectly, don't worry and get better soon. Send my love to Neville, too, will you?" Hermione managed to sound nice and chirpy on the phone, but the truth was, Hannah's absence today was only one of the numerous problems she had managed to face in the hour and a half she'd been awake.

Firstly, her cat had managed to trap himself in the curtains and had fought good and hard to get out. The result? Now Hermione didn't have curtains in her bedroom because they were torn to pieces.

Then, she'd broken her favourite mug, stumbled against the door, almost forgot her keys inside her flat, and faced a broken elevator with new heels _living on the fourth floor_.

And, if that wasn't enough, now Hannah was calling to say she couldn't come to work the same day that Ginny worked only half the morning, leaving her alone to attend both the bookshop and the café attached to it.

"Bloody, perfect day," she grumbled, walking briskly towards her shop. "I should've just stayed in bed."

From the other side of the street, Draco Malfoy wasn't faring much better. He had awoken late, and thus was late to work, had almost died by being run over a bus the second he had stepped out of his flat, and was now arguing heatedly on the phone with his assistant about whether or not he needed to take more clients when there were _fifty other lawyers_ in the building.

"Yes, I will arrive now." He cut off the communication with a frown. "I'm surrounded by idiots," he muttered, angrily.

London was bustling with activity. Just as Hermione skipped a big puddle, her new heels wavering precariously when she stepped on the other side of it, Draco had to dodge an elderly lady on her bike, causing them to collide with each other directly in front of Hermione's little shop.

They both cringed and jumped backwards, but it was too late: Hermione's bag was dripping with Draco's coffee, and he had stumbled against the wall.

"I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed, shaking her bag and trying to save her items.

"It was nothing," he said, "but I apologize about your bag. Do you work far from here?"

"I work just there." She pointed with her chin at the bookshop's front door. "Oh, thank goodness everything's right," she muttered, shaking her phone, and finally looking at him. She smiled a bit, trying to put him at ease, but that didn't seem to work. He was frowning, and he looked tired.

"Well, I'll be going," he finally said, awkwardly, looking at his watch. "I'm sorry about your bag, miss, but I have to go. Have a nice day."

Before Hermione could answer, he was already gone, walking fast and avoiding people, empty coffee in hand.

"What a morning," she grumbled, again, before sighing and resigning herself to not having a great day. "Of course it's a Monday."

* * *

On Tuesday, Hermione had to wear a backpack to work, because the bag the stranger had ruined was the only one where all her things fit. She felt like a schoolgirl and resolved to buy another bag at the first available opportunity.

"Hermione, you won't believe what my crazy mother has decided now! Whoa, what is that backpack? Didn't you wear that to high school?" Ginny Weasley, as always, was talking a mile a minute.

Hermione, ignoring her, put her things in the staff room, waved at Hannah, and walked to the cashier without answering.

"Hi, Ginny, how are you? I'm fine, thanks for asking" she finally said, pointedly. "The backpack is because, as I told you yesterday, some man poured coffee on my bag and ruined it, and I didn't have anything else. Now, what's the deal with your mother?"

"Oh, yes, my mother. She wants you to date Percy!"

Hermione blinked.

"Ginny, you know I love your brother, but–"

"He's gay and has a boyfriend? Yeah, I know, but my mother is still in denial and insists that Marcus is just a _friend_." She rolled her eyes. "It got so bad yesterday that Dad asked her to stop being a homophobic cow and accept her son had a boyfriend. Well, not with those words, but you know."

"Wow," Hermione made a face. "Your mother is something else."

"She totally is," Ginny agreed easily. "Oh! There's a packet here, I didn't want to open it without you because it doesn't have a name on it, and the shop is yours."

"Oh, right, thank you. I wasn't expecting anything, but…" she followed Ginny to the counter, where she put the packet on display. It was a big box with no name or tag, and Hermione opened it with caution, Ginny looking over her shoulder.

They both stared, amazed, at the brown and pink Louis Vuitton tote bag that was waiting there.

"What on Earth–?" muttered Hermione, gingerly stroking the bag and taking it out. "It's amazing, but why is it here? Do you think it's a mistake?"

"I've got no idea, but finders keepers and this is yours now," Ginny said. "That way you can get rid of that ridiculous backpack and wear a stylish, luxury bag. Wow. I wish I had admirers like this one."

"It's not from an admirer. It has to be a mistake," Hermione insisted, searching the inside of the bag and its side pockets. "Look! A note! Wow, the paper looks expensive," she added as an afterthought.

"What does it say?" exclaimed Ginny excitedly. They both stuck their noses in the note, almost too excited to read it.

' _To the beautiful woman whose bag I ruined by being a clumsy idiot,_

 _I am very sorry about our incident yesterday. As you could clearly see, coffee hadn't made an impression on me yet, and I wasn't watching where I was going._

 _I hope this new bag makes up for my clumsiness._

 _My sincerest apologies,_

 _Draco Malfoy'_

They looked at each other, wide-eyed, and Ginny let out a high-pitched squeal.

"Hermione Granger, you seductress, you have an admirer!"

Hermione blushed, looking at her new bag. Maybe the week wouldn't be a disaster?

* * *

"You did WHAT?" Draco was ready to murder his best friend. In his hand, his phone was showing a text from an unknown number, where a woman thanked him for a bag he had nothing to do with, and showed him a photo of her with the new bag.

Theo didn't look repentant at all. In fact, he looked very much amused. "I sent her a new bag to make up for the one you ruined with your coffee."

"Yes, I did gather that. The question is, why did you send it, _and why did you put my name on the damned note?"_

"Because it's not the woman's fault you have no manners. As to why I put your name, well, she was pretty and she left enough impression on you to remember where she worked. And it's about time you have some sex, man. This celibacy it's getting ridiculous."

"So you sent her a note with my name, and included my business card AND personal number hoping she would text me?"

"Yes. And it worked, didn't it? Now, answer it."

"No. I'm just going to leave her in read, let her enjoy the free bag, and that's it. I don't want anything more."

"Draco, don't be rude. At least answer her! You can block her later."

Draco pinched the bridge of his nose. He just wanted to have a nice, relaxing evening, but _of course_ he wouldn't have that.

 _Hi? My name is Hermione Granger and I'm the woman whose bag you destroyed. Thank you so much for the new bag, it wasn't necessary but I really appreciate it :)_

 _*photo attached*_

 _That's me with the new bag!_

 _Hello_

 _I'm glad you like your bag, it was the least I could do._

 _Have a nice evening._

"Are you kidding me?" screamed Theo after reading his texts over his shoulder. "Have you really answered that? You're as dry as the fucking desert, mate, and I'm telling you this as a friend."

"Well, I didn't want to text her in the first place! This is your fault!"

"My fault?! You can't flirt with a woman to save your life! Draco, this is ridiculous. You used to be smoother than this."

Draco rolled his eyes.

 _My friend is just telling me I'm drier than a desert; I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sound so harsh._

 _You just took me by surprise._

"That's better," said Theo approvingly. "But you shouldn't have mentioned me, the point is to make it sound as if this is your idea."

"Too late– oh wow, she's writing back!"

 _That's okay, I also have a tendency to sound harsher than intended :)_

 _Tell me, how did you know this was the bag I wanted? Because you got it perfect._

Draco turned to Theo, and he had the good grace to blush a little.

"Well, you see. I looked up the website of her bookshop, and there was a page with the staff. There were three women, but you mentioned a girl with curly brown hair and she's the only one. So I clicked on her name and looked up her Pinterest—don't look at me like that, she had a link to it! She had the bag pinned in her wish list," he finished.

Draco thought he looked way too smug, considering what he had done. "So you basically stalked her online before you sent her the bag?"

"Yes? You make it sound so bad, Draco. I was just helping you!"

Draco sighed.

 _It was pure luck, I had an inkling based on your last bag._

"There, nice and smooth," he said, satisfied.

By his side, Theo nodded, "Maybe there's still hope for you."

* * *

Hermione giggled into her hand, feeling absolutely ridiculous. She wasn't a teenager, but she did feel like one – _giggling_ over a boy? Ridiculous.

Only this boy was a _man_. A very handsome, very gentlemanly man that had her absolutely _drooling_ when she googled him up. At least six feet tall, blond hair, and from the look of it, also very intelligent: he was a prominent lawyer in one of the most important law firms in London.

She had only looked him up out of pure curiosity–and, also, to appease Ginny– and texted him out of a feeling of obligation (her mother had taught her good manners, which she regularly put to use), and she didn't expect any more from him. She definitely didn't expect an answer.

And she absolutely didn't want to flirt with him.

 _Well, your inkling was absolutely correct. Thanks again, if you ever want a book you know where I work ;)_

She blushed and threw her phone on the sofa, walking around the house to get her nerves under check.

Her cat, Crookshanks, looked weirdly at her when her phone rang, alerting her of a new text, and she let out a squeal.

 _Definitely ;)_

* * *

 _Hi!_

 _I'm really excited about this fic: it's got four chapters, it's already finished and beta'd, and I will publish a chapter every week. I planned this as kind of rom-com-y, just because I was in the mood for some good fluff and little depth in regards to the plot. So here it is, I hope you like it as much as I do._

 _What do you think? Drop me a review and let me know, I had a great time writing this and would love it if you liked reading this, too!_

 _See you soon!_

 _LadyChocolateLover_


	2. II

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J. K. Rowling.**

 _Again, special thanks to my beta **sarenia** for her help!_

* * *

 **WE ARE (NOT) JUST FRIENDS**

 **II.**

"Tell us everything RIGHT NOW," screeched Ginny the second Hermione arrived at her bookshop. "Also, take that! This is the third time this week I'm earlier than you. I told you it was possible!"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "It was about time you learned to get here on time. And there's _nothing_ to tell."

"Nothing? Nothing at all?" asked Hannah, incredulously. "Nothing, nothing, nothing?"

"Nothing. I thanked him, he said it was nothing, and that's it. Calm yourselves, and Hannah, please go and open the café. It's about time."

Hannah grumbled good-naturedly but did as she was told. However, Ginny wouldn't be deterred that easily.

"Are you seriously telling me that you have the number of an amazingly handsome man that gifted you an incredible bag and _nothing has happened_?!" If Ginny screamed a bit higher, the windows would break.

"Yes, that is exactly what I'm telling you. Now, calm down. This is not a film; nothing will happen." She glared at Ginny, and her friend glared right back.

"You, Hermione Granger, haven't got a romantic bone in your body, and I am deeply offended by your pragmatism," she proclaimed, and then she turned her back at her and walked to the counter, nose high in the air.

Hermione shook her head, smiling at her antics. Ginny had always been the same. Before she could answer that she did, indeed, have a romantic bone in her body (she wanted a Mr. Darcy of her own!), the bell rang and the first customer of the day, a tall, lean man, entered.

"Good morning, sir!" she chirped. "How can we assist you?"

The man smiled. "I believe that your presence already assisted me with this ugly and rainy day, miss. But I was looking for a book. I don't know if you'll have it here?" He made a show of looking at the shop, which was bursting with books.

She laughed. "I don't know, but we'll certainly try."

* * *

"And she actually blushed when I mentioned your name! It was very cute, she was like 'Ginny, stop', and telling me about your kindness, and–"

"Theo," interrupted Draco, trying to be patient. "How about you tell me again from the beginning? No, better yet, how about you do the work I actually pay you for and leave this for another moment?"

"Sssh, my work will be there when I return. This is much more important." Theo perched himself on Draco's desk. "So, from the beginning: I, being a very good friend, stopped at Miss Granger's bookshop this morning, trying to gauge her character."

"And why would you want to gauge her character?" Draco was pretending to work, but it was obvious he wasn't.

"Because I'm trying to follow your mother's orders and find you a girlfriend, but you're making it really difficult." They both glared at each other, and Theo continued. "Anyways, it turns out she's a delight! She helped me a lot, and even laughed at my jokes. She was very nice, Draco. You should really give her a chance."

Draco decided to ignore the last part. "Repeat again how you managed to mention my name?"

"Ah, yes. It was very easy, really. I gave her the Malfoy card to pay, and her assistant asked me whether I knew you. I said yes, and asked her how she knew _you_ , and she told me she didn't, but _Hermione_ did."

"And?"

"And Hermione blushed, told Ginny not to gossip, and explained to me the whole story of how you met. She told me you had been very kind, which I'm attributing to _my_ genius thinking and quick reflexes."

"Who is Ginny?"

"Her assistant, the redhead from the web. Apparently, she also writes part-time about women's sports. She was nice, too, but married."

"Okay. Now that you've told me, would you be so kind as to go back to work?"

"No! We have to plan how you're going to _accidentally_ meet her again! This is your opportunity! She's a nice woman, she owns a bookshop, and you've managed to leave a good impression, which happens almost never! It was thanks to me, but still."

"No, I'm not going to meet her again." Draco looked calm, but he was mentally panicking. What had that idiot he had for a friend done now?

"Oh, but you are. Don't think I haven't noticed how you've changed your route to work." Theo looked too smug for his own good. "I told her that, and added that it was because you were ashamed of the incident."

"You did WHAT? Theodore Nott, can you stop meddling in my life? Honestly, you're trying to hook me up when I can't even remember the last girlfriend you had! And _don't mention my mother_ ," he hissed, well and truly angry. He loved Theo, but honestly, that was too much.

"And," Theo was ignoring him, as usual, "her assistant told me that Hermione had also changed her route, and that you were both idiots. So now, Hermione will go by her usual route tomorrow, and you must, too! That way you can meet again! As I've already said, I'm a genius!"

"A genius?! You call that genius thinking? Have you ever–" Draco forced himself to take a deep breath. "Okay. Okay. You know what will happen? I'm going to ignore everything you've said in the last fifteen minutes, and _you_ are going to stop trying to hook me up because _I don't want a girlfriend._ Now, back to work, and do repay the cost of the book because the Malfoy card is for work only. Thank you." He turned around and left, angrily muttering under his breath.

Theo shook his head. "Time to get out the big guns," he muttered, getting out his phone and typing rapidly.

 _Ginny? It's Theo. I need your help, Draco is being unreasonably… unreasonable about meeting Hermione._

 _HERMIONE IS THE BEST THING ON THIS PLANET AND IF HE DOESN'T WANT TO MEET HER, IT'S HIS LOSS_

 _Who am I kidding, they totally need to date_

 _How do we do it?_

 _I've got an idea –are you free for lunch? It's better if I tell you in person_

 _Yes_ _._ _Text me an address and I'll be there in two hours_

Now he only had to work a bit before going out again. Ah, the life of a lawyer.

* * *

Draco wasn't going to use his usual route for going to work. He wasn't, but apparently the London government hated him and had started construction work on his second usual route, so he had to use the other route. The one Hermione also used.

Damn.

The problem wasn't her. She was, Draco was sure, a perfectly nice woman, but he didn't want to meet her again, in case Theo got (more) ideas about his romantic life.

Of course, Murphy's Law decided to act again and there she was, distractedly walking towards him. Draco started to panic. Was he supposed to ignore her? Smile? A bit of small talk? Or something else?

Before he could decide on something, she saw him and smiled wildly, waving at him _._

 _Fuck._

"Hi," she said, reaching his side.

"Hi," he answered back, awkwardly. _Way to go, Draco._

"How are you?"

"Fine, thank you." He licked his lips nervously. "You–, you've been well, I assume?"

"Oh, yes, really well. Yesterday one of your friends came to visit me," she added, pointing with her chin at her bookshop.

"Yeah, Theo. He told me." Before she could say anything more, Draco ended the conversation abruptly. "Well, it's been nice to see you, but I've got to go to work, and I suppose you do, too. Goodbye, have a nice day."

And, just like that, he was gone, leaving Hermione standing in the street with a surprised look on her face.

Draco was very thankful his mother was not there: she would have cut his head off for his lack of manners. What a disaster.

* * *

"I'm not doing that."

"Oh, but you are."

"No."

"Yes."

"Theo, I'm not going on another blind bloody date, and that's final." Draco glowered at his friend, wondering why he kept having Theo as a friend when he was much more of a nuisance than anything else.

"Why not?" asked his friend reasonably, as if it wasn't a completely ridiculous idea.

Draco sputtered. "Why not?! Why _would_ I, is the question! Why would I subject myself to dining with a complete stranger on what probably would be the most awkward, time-wasting dinner ever?"

"You're so dramatic. You should've become an actor instead of a lawyer." Theo rolled his eyes at him. "Honestly, you only focus on the worse aspects of life. What if you really like this woman? What if you enjoy the dinner? It wouldn't kill you to enjoy yourself once in a while, you know."

"I know how to enjoy myself, and going on a blind date isn't one of the ways. So you can just cancel it."

"No. Draco, you have to go, and you have to keep an open mind while you're at it. I really, really need you to go, and if you hate it, I swear I'll keep quiet about your dating life for the next month."

Draco stared at him for a few seconds, eyes narrowed. "Six months."

"What?"

"If I go, you have to keep quiet about my dating life for the next six months."

Theo beamed at him. "Only if you hate it," he reminded Draco, and Draco snorted.

"Oh, I will most probably hate it," he affirmed, before asking "Who's the woman?"

"It's a secret!"

* * *

Hermione knew this was a bad idea.

She knew it rationally, and she also knew it in her heart, but of course, telling that to Ginny Weasley was more or less the same than telling it to her living room wall. Because she. Just. Didn't. Listen. Or, if she did listen, she. Just. Didn't. Care.

"My little girl, all grown up." Ginny sniffled dramatically when, at least, Hermione's hair was done and her makeup finished.

"Ginny, I'm two years older than you," she said, bemused.

"Shut up and look at this masterpiece. Your date won't be able to resist you!"

"Until I start talking about Jane Austen and Victor Hugo, you mean?" asked Hermione drily, but she stared at herself in the mirror. She looked really good, with a short light blue sheath dress, hair in a polished updo, and her new black high heels.

She looked amazing, actually.

"Okay, so, are you ready to do this?" Ginny clapped her hands excitedly and took a photo of her, rapidly texting on her phone. "Hannah says you look amazing, and Luna says that your earrings complement the dress really well. This is so exciting. You're going on a date! I can't even remember your last date!"

Hermione smiled, amused. "You act as if I somehow landed on the moon! Ginny, this is a blind date, stop being so excited."

" _Someone_ has to get excited, and that someone doesn't seem to be you." Ginny stuck her tongue at her. "Now, remember: the reservation table is under 'Ginny', I'll text you at nine and at eleven to make sure you're still okay, and please try to enjoy the night and have fun. And no sex on the first date!"

" _Ginny_!"

"What?! It's good advice!" She smiled innocently. "C'mon, take your purse and off you go in your carriage-taxi! I'll feed the cat and lock the door on my way out. _Bye_!" Hermione barely had time to fetch her things before Ginny pushed her out of the door, and kept pushing her inside the elevator.

Alone at last, she had almost twenty minutes of taxi to reflect. Did she have any hopes? No. Why had she agreed to do this? Because saying no to Ginny wasn't an option. What was her goal this night? Not to have a completely disastrous dinner. Would that be possible? She hoped so, at least.

She finally arrived at the restaurant, a new kind-of-posh place that she'd been meaning to try, and smiled at the maître.

"Reservation under 'Ginny', please."

"This way, ma'am. Your date has already arrived."

Hermione followed the man, trying to get her nerves under check. _Please, please don't let him be a serial killer. Or a mansplainer._

Her date stood with her back to her as she approached, and Hermione got pale when she recognized that shade of blond hair, and the broadness of his shoulders.

"Draco?!" she asked, bewildered. He turned around to see her and looked at her with wide eyes.

"Hermione!" he exclaimed, puzzled.

 _Of course_.

* * *

 _Hi again!_

 _I'm so excited for this fic! The reception has been incredible: **10** reviews, **15** favs and **36** follows. Thank you all so much, especially to those who reviewed: your words made my day! Please tell me what you thought about this chapter, I'd love to read what you think. _

_See you next week :)_

 _LadyChocolateLover_


	3. III

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J. K. Rowling.**

 _Shoutout to **sarenia** for her help!_

* * *

 **WE ARE (NOT) JUST FRIENDS**

 **III.**

Over the course of the last hour, Draco Malfoy had come to the very startling, not at all welcome realization that he wanted to kiss Hermione Granger.

Well, he wanted to do more than kiss her, but that would be a great way to start.

The problem was that they had agreed to have dinner together –they weren't at that restaurant for nothing, after all–but just as friends. Not dating, not seriously planning to date, just as an amicable company. Which obviously made his fantasy of kissing her a well, a fantasy with no chances of becoming real.

The soft violin playing in the background was starting to get to his nerves. Everything –the white tablecloths, the silver cutlery, the decoration- was too romantic for his tastes, especially given his current situation.

"Draco, are you listening to me?" Hermione's voice got him out of his musings, and he smiled at her nervously.

"Yes, I'm sorry. I had just zoomed out," he said, trying not to think of her lips. They were painted a _very sexy_ dark red.

She smiled back, not phased in the least. "Tell me about your friends, then. I've just told you about mine."

"Well, you know Theo. He's been my best friend since we were like eight, and I'm quite sure my mother likes him more than me." He grinned easily. "And he's a pain in the ass. But he's a really good friend."

"He seemed nice, when he came to the shop."

"He's nicer with literally everyone that isn't me," Draco sighed. "And then, well, Blaise and Pansy are my other close friends, but right now they are in Italy on their honeymoon."

Hermione nodded. "That's nice."

They stayed in silence for a few moments, and the waiter arrived with their desserts. Eating quietly, pausing for interchanging opinions and laughing a bit, their date finally came to its natural end.

"I'm glad we met," said Hermione when they came out to the night air. "I'm not even angry at Ginny for tricking me into this. I really enjoyed our dinner."

"Me too," he agreed. "I'd love to meet you again, maybe we can go to the theatre then?"

Hermione beamed at him. "I'd love that."

Draco helped her into her taxi and walked back to his home in silence, all the while thinking of the expression on her face and her wide smile.

 _Fuck, but he truly wanted to kiss her._

* * *

"Ginny, he's too nice!" gushed Hermione on the phone, having just arrived from her date. "He is really well educated, can hold a conversation on lots of themes, respected my opinion, had good table manners… Incredible, I swear."

"So my date planning was a full success! I knew it! Tell me, did he bring you to your door? Kiss you? I bet he's a good kisser!

"I wouldn't know. We agreed on staying as friends…"

"You agreed on WHAT? Hermione Granger, are you crazy? I didn't plan that date just so you could end up as friends! It was supposed to be a _romantic date, with romantic prospects,"_ screeched Ginny, and Harry could be heard laughing from her side. "Sush, Harry, I married you for support," she chided, before audibly turning her attention back to Hermione. "Now, can you please explain to me how on Earth did you pair of idiots come to the idea of having dinner together as friends?!"

"Well, we both agreed it was rather awkward to be there when we didn't want to date. So, we decided to just, you know, have dinner as friends, to see if we kicked it off. Which we definitely did."

"That doesn't even make sense! Just date him already!" Hermione rolled her eyes at her friend's enthusiasm.

"We're just friends, Ginny. See you on Monday!" She hung up the phone with an almost evil smile and turned to her bed.

She got under the covers, and was putting her phone on the nightstand when a sound alerted her of a new text message.

"Ginny," she sighed and rolled her eyes before unlocking her phone.

It wasn't from Ginny, it was from Draco.

 _Theo almost killed me when I told him of our agreement to stay as friends._

Hermione smiled, a bit giddy.

 _Same with Ginny, I thought she was going to materialize in my flat to throttle me!_

 _If Ginny wasn't married, I'd set them up… They fit._

 _Hahahaha no way_

 _They'd kill each other in their eagerness for setting us up ;)_

 _You're right as always, milady_

 _And now, thanks to you, I've got six glorious months free of Theo commenting on my dating life ;)_

 _I'm so jealous, Ginny is relentless :(_

 _Anyways, I was going to bed now. Talk tomorrow?_

 _Absolutely._

It seemed he was going to let it at that, but suddenly a text appeared, and Hermione's heart did a flip.

 _Maybe over lunch? I'm free tomorrow…_

 _I'd love to :)_

 _Goodnight._

 _Sweet dreams._

Hermione put her phone on the nightstand, smiling all the way. She was an idiot, she reflected, but she absolutely didn't care.

* * *

"You're actually finishing work _early?"_ Theo gasped dramatically. "Draco, are you ill? Do you have a fever? Surely it isn't a girl; you _ruined_ the date I planned for you last week."

"Ha, ha, ha. Shut up and finish your work," he said, slapping Theo in the back. "See you on Monday, old man."

"But where are you going?!"

"To the park!" he answered, rushing down the hallway towards the elevator. Thank goodness he was already wearing a suit and didn't have to change, he thought, waving a hand to catch a taxi and breathlessly giving the driver the directions.

Finally, he arrived at the fountain he and Hermione had agreed to meet on, and there she was, looking around for him. She was dressed in a billowy white skirt and a green blouse, and she looked lovely.

"Hermione!" He waved his hand. She looked around until she saw him and then absolutely _beamed_ at Draco, walking towards him a bit unsteadily.

"Heels and cobblestone pathways don't mix well," she explained with humour when she arrived, kissing him on both cheeks and gladly accepting his arm.

"I'm so sorry for being late. Traffic was a nightmare," he apologized, and they both started strolling towards the end of the park. There were few people walking alongside them, and the sunset gave everything an air of beauty.

They had agreed that crossing the park would be much nicer than walking on London's streets for arriving at the theatre. They would see, of course, _The Winter's Tale_ , in honour of where they had met, two weeks and four _friendly_ dates after.

"We still have time," she said, waving away his apology. "The play isn't for another half an hour, and we've already got seats –talking about, I've got to pay you back."

"Nonsense, it was my idea. I pay."

Hermione pursed her lips, and freed her arm to better look at his face. "You're _not_ paying for my seat, Draco. I won't let you."

"Oh, you will. My mother'd have my head if she heard I was letting a lady pay for anything."

"But I'm not your girlfriend!" Hermione glared at him. "I want to pay you back, Draco. I don't like being in debt to _anyone,_ for _anything."_

"You wouldn't be in debt to me! Consider it a present for your birthday."

" _Which isn't for another three months."_

He sighed, defeated. "Okay, you can pay for the seats next time."

" _Much_ better." She was so busy being smug that she stumbled trying to dodge a puddle and he grabbed her, his hands accidentally surpassing her waist and settling at her hips.

They looked at one another for a few seconds, paralysed, and then both reacted at the same time, jumping backwards with a red face when a ringtone sounded somewhere near them.

"Ehm… Shall we continue?" he asked, offering her his arm but studiously keeping his eyes on the trees, which were beautiful but didn't require that kind of attention.

"Um, yes, of course. Thank you for not letting me fall," she added in a soft voice.

"You're welcome."

* * *

If he thought that meeting with her in a place where they wouldn't talk and he wouldn't see her face would make his ridiculous fantasy of kissing her disappear, he was _really fucking wrong._

Draco had spent the last ten minutes stupidly aware of her scent, because she was pressed into his side to better see what has happening in the scene. The plot had been lost to him a while ago –her hair was tickling his face, and she smelled divine, and... And he was getting too ahead of himself; he didn't even know what she thought about him.

 _If_ she thought about him, that's it.

"Are you enjoying it?" whispered Hermione into his ear.

He barely glanced at her. "Yes, of course. Why wouldn't I?" Why indeed?

"You look tense," she murmured quietly.

"It's my resting face," he said drily, a smirk on his lips. She giggled quietly, and said no more.

"I know a prettier Hermione," Draco muttered to her a while later, nodding towards the actress. She blushed; he was sure of it even in the darkness of the theatre.

Maybe his fantasy wasn't so far off, seeing as she blushed _a lot_ with him. That had to mean something, right? But then again, what did he know of her habits? He had met her barely two weeks ago.

The play finally ended, with raucous applause, and he mindlessly offered her his hand. "Let's go."

They both walked towards the streets, illuminated by yellowish lights that gave that part of the city a romantic ambience. The night air was hot enough to make Draco cuff his sleeves, and Hermione laughed.

"I had started to think you lived permanently perfect," she teased.

"Do you think I'm perfect?"

"Well, at least you look the part." She winked, starting to walk down the street. He caught himself ogling her arse and dragged his eyes away before catching up with her.

"I'll have you know, my perfection is a fact," he proclaimed, and she laughed.

"Mr. Darcy thought so about himself, too."

* * *

Hermione didn't usually follow her impulses.

Most of the time, she restrained herself, she was _rational_ , but with Draco it was impossible. Did she have the urge to triple text him? She triple texted him. Did she want to see a new play? She asked him if he was free. Did she bake biscuits and end up with leftovers? She visited him at work to give him some.

Did she want to kiss him? She… Well, she restrained herself here because there were certain lines they didn't cross, and that was one of them. But that didn't mean she didn't want to, even if she wasn't very sure about his standing: did he even _like_ her?

When she had told Ginny Draco was perfect boyfriend material, she was –mostly– joking. But now, she was starting to think that maybe being friends wasn't so great. She wanted a good romance in her life, and Draco seemed like the kind of man that would sweep her off her feet because he was, indeed, perfect boyfriend material.

If only he was interested in her...

"Just my bloody luck, I find a man I'm interested in, but I can't have," she muttered, shelving a book with a bit more force than necessary. Coincidentally, it was a romance book. "Just my bloody damned luck."

"What were you saying?" asked a smug, feminine voice on her back. "Was it _you_ finally admitting to mucking everything up? You could be dating a great man right now, but nooooo, because you just wanted to be friends."

Hermione rolled her eyes and turned to face Ginny. "Yes, yes, I'm an idiot. Thanks for rubbing it in."

"But," her friend continued, still looking ridiculously smug, "there's an easy solution to your problem: simply kiss him."

Definitely, Ginny had lost her marbles. "Kiss him? My whole problem is that we agreed to be just friends! I'm not going to ruin a perfectly good friendship with a kiss, Ginny!"

"Well, I kissed Harry and it worked out well! We're married now, no friendships destroyed!"

"Because Harry was crazy for you, only in denial! This is different!"

"Different how, exactly? Because I've seen that man look at you, and let me tell you: he doesn't look at you as one would look at a friend."

Hermione sighed, and kept on shelving books. "And how, pray tell, does he exactly look at me?"

"He looks at you like he wants to eat you alive, Hermione," said Ginny seriously. "He gets, like, this _intense_ look in his eyes, and he just stares at you as if you hung the moon, and, like… It's ridiculous how much in denial you both are," she finished with a sigh. "Because it's clear he wants the same as you, and that's not a simple friendship."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I don't believe a word; Draco would never be interested in me."

"Well, I'm telling you: he very much is."

* * *

 _Hi!_

 _What did you think of the chapter? We only have one left, the story is coming to the end... And thanks again for leaving reviews, I don't answer them but I do love and appreciate them!_

 _See you next week :)_

 _LadyChocolateLover_

 _P.S: Leave me a review if you want Draco to kiss you ;)_


	4. IV

**Disclaimer: Harry Pottrr belongs to J. K. Rowling.**

 _Shoutout to **sarenia** for her enourmous help!_

* * *

 **WE ARE (NOT) JUST FRIENDS**

 **IV.**

"I'm feeling a bit like Sebastien right now," commented Theo out of nowhere. "Honestly, it's tiring."

"Sebastien? Do I know a Sebastien?" Draco forced himself to remember, but his mind wasn't cooperating. It was still reeling with the legal implications of the case he was currently trying to work in, which was, in his expert opinion, a nightmare.

"Sebastien, from _The Little Mermaid_! The crab!"

Draco looked at his friend with a good deal of worry. "And you're feeling like the crab from a children's movie because...?"

"Because there's a part in the movie where he starts singing _Kiss the girl, go on and kiss the girl._ That's exactly what I'm feeling: _go on and kiss the girl._ " Theo's singing abilities were atrocious, but that wasn't what irked Draco.

"I've told you, I can't kiss her," he said, frustrated. "We're just friends."

" _And_ I've told you, you totally can, and _should_ , kiss her. She's waiting for it! I know that."

"I know that as a straight man it's hard for you to comprehend," drawled Draco," but not all girls are waiting for a man to kiss them. In fact, most of them aren't. Like 99% of them aren't"

Theo rolled his eyes. "I didn't mean it like that. What I meant is that she is literally waiting for you to make a move. Ginny told me yesterday that she's interested but thinks you aren't. So, you must start wooing her right now, and kissing would be a clear way of showing your interest in her."

Draco blinked. He hadn't expected that.

"She's... She's interested? Are you sure?" he managed to ask, trying to wrap his head about the enormous impossibility of such an amazing woman being interested in him.

"I'm sure. 100% percent sure, Ginny told me, and Ginny knows it best."

They both looked at each other, and Draco started to grin.

"I have a chance," he muttered. He couldn't believe it; his mind was having difficulties accepting it.

"Yes. You have a chance, so better don't muck it up."

* * *

"Hello", she said, surprised. "I wasn't expecting you until later."

Her hair was a mess, she just knew it, and Draco looked perfectly coiffed, and his suit was perfect, and he looked so handsome and... _Get a grip, Hermione_.

He smiled, and the grip she had managed disappeared under his charm. "I wanted to see you."

"Well, that's... I'm… Um," she stammered, blushing bright red. "What I meant was: please come in. I'm glad you came early!"

Draco laughed and, as always, she felt butterflies in her stomach. "Thanks for inviting me to your bookstore, Hermione," he teased. "I didn't expect less, seeing as it's supposed to be public."

"If you're going to be so smart, I'm going to put you to work," she said, pointing at him with a book. "That way I can close early, and we can go on," she added with a sweet smile, and Draco shook his head but smiled back.

"Okay, what can I do for you?"

 _Lots of things. Like kissing me. Or using those amazing hands you have. And oh, your shoulders. Maybe you could take off_ – "I need help shelving some books I received this morning. There aren't a lot, but if we divide them we could finish earlier."

He nodded in agreement. They started, and half an hour later they were close to finishing.

"I didn't know you had so many books," he complained. His suit jacket was somewhere in the staff room, his tie was askew, and his sleeves rolled.

He looked absolutely yummy, in Hermione's modest opinion.

"Well, this _is_ a bookstore, no matter how small. So, there's books," she said, matter of factly. She was really impressed at her own coherence, seeing as she was busy ogling him.

"And book posters," he replied, shelving his last book and angling his head towards _The Princess Bride's_ poster at the wall.

"And book posters," she agreed, smiling.

"Okay. I'm finished. Do I have to do anything else or can we go now?"

"Yeah, we can go now, wait a sec–," she interrupted herself, shelving the last of her books, and turning to see him. "Let's go, just let me close and we're free."

She caught him looking at her very intently, eyes intense and concentrated, and Hermione checked herself to see if she had any spots or wrinkled clothing. She didn't. So why was he…?

"Hermione," he said suddenly. "I'm going to do something now, and I need you to tell me if it's okay or if you don't like it."

"All right," she said slowly. He was much too close, wasn't he? How had he arrived there?

Before Hermione's brain could process what was happening, there was an overload of Draco all over her –a hand on her waist, another under her chin, tilting it up, lips on her cheek, moving sloooooowly towards her– and she went quiet, sucking air into ther lungs and trying not to faint.

He was kissing her. He was. _Kissing_. Her.

More than kissing, actually. It felt very nice, smooth and slow and sensual, and she started to lean into him, and suddenly it was over.

She blinked. He blinked back, peering into her face to ser her reaction.

"Do it again," she demanded quietly, and he smiled.

* * *

Draco re-typed the text, trying to word it in a way he didn't seem too clingy.

 _I want to see you again. What if we go to the theatre?_

Nah, something was off there. He deleted it.

 _I come back on Thursday, want to meet?_

She already knew when he was coming back, there was no need to put emphasis on it.

 _Will you come to meet me at the station?_

No, that was too much. They were… Whatever it was they were doing, but asking her to meet him was too personal, too raw. He didn't like it.

 _I miss you._

There. Straight and to the point, she could interpret it however she wanted. He pressed _send_ and refused to think more about it until a soft noise alerted him of a response.

 _I miss you too, I got tickets for when you come back._

 _Don't ask me for what –it's a surprise! Remember that Fridays are mine ;)_

Draco knew a stupid grin was taking place in his face, but he couldn't stop it. Only two more days and he could see her again. Well, three. He couldn't wait.

Maybe he should take her for dinner, he pondered. A real dinner, this time. Only he would ask her to wear the same dress again because she looked perfect in it. Or the black skirt and red blouse combo. Or that white minidress she wore to the museum that one time. Or, fuck, that amazing lavender blouse with whatever she wanted.

Yes, he would ask her to dinner, but he would let her decide what to wear, Draco was no tyrant after all.

It helped that he liked her in everything she wore.

 _I can't wait… ;)_

* * *

"Ginny, you have permission now to get excited:" Hermione waited deliberately a few seconds to prolong the moment. "I have a date!"

Ginny blinked.

"Aren't you, like, dating Draco? Why would you want a date?"

"I have a date _with Draco_. He's taking me to dinner in the restaurant of the first time. Only this time is a _real date_."

Immediately, Ginny's eyes went round and she let out a shrill little scream, clapping happily. "That's great! And it was his idea to repeat the date, only right this time? Such a romantic," she gushed.

Hermione looked smug until something occurred to her. "What am I going to wear? I can't repeat the dress!"

"Why not? In fact, you _should_ repeat the dress. Because this time it's for real!" Ginny clapped again and added, "When is it? We have to get you ready!"

"It's… Um, it's in three hours, actually."

"It's in three fucking what?!"

No matter how much time Ginny lost reprimanding her, or the problems they had trying to properly curl her hair, or the little panicky moment about not finding the keys, in three hours Hermione was sitting across from Draco in the restaurant they first talked, wearing exactly the same outfit she had worn in their first meeting. She looked absolutely amazing, she knew that, and that gave her the confidence to beam at and flirt with him.

For his part, Draco, who also was wearing the same outfit from their first date, was looking properly dazzled by her charm, and he was charming her at the same time.

It was awesome, everything was awesome, and Hermione was having the time of her life. How ridiculous had they been, thinking they could just be friends.

"I can't believe we tried to be friends," said Draco in that same moment, and she smiled. They were so attuned to each other it was a bit worrisome. "I like you _so much_ , and I'm ashamed to admit I needed a hell of a lot of pushes from Theo to even admit it to myself. I didn't want to mess it up," he admitted shyly.

"I know, right? Ginny was pushing me to take some chances all the time and I kept pushing her back because I was afraid you weren't interested, and I'd only muck it up," she laughed. "Now Ginny can't stop mentioning how _she_ was right from the beginning and _I_ was wrong. One day I'm going to strangle her."

"No talking of possible murders with a lawyer present, Hermione. I'd rather be able to say I believe you when the moment comes," he winked, smiling.

She laughed some more. The wine was very good, the food was delicious, and she definitely didn't have any complaints about her company. What a beautiful night.

When dinner ended, dessert and a few glasses of champagne included, they both strolled a bit. London usually wasn't a very nice city to walk –too full of people, of tourists, of dogs, of traffic–, but even the night seemed to be in their favour: the air was crisp and clear, the traffic was light, and the streets were almost deserted by London-standards. The wine had flushed their cheeks and loosened their tongues, and soon they were kissing under the light of a lamppost.

"Get a taxi," muttered Hermione, breathless. "Let's go to my house."

His eyes darkened, and in record time they were both snuggling and kissing in the backseat of a taxi. Hermione had never been this shameless, she thought, fishing Draco's hand from under her dress and laughing quietly.

"Draco, be nice," she scolded with a smile. He winked.

Hermione wasn't really sure how they got out of the taxi and into her elevator, but soon she was fumbling with her keys while Draco kissed her neck. He just couldn't be still, he had to touch her constantly.

It felt good, to be desired like this. Fire flooded her veins, and the next thing she knew, she was sitting on Draco's lap, both snogging in the sofa like a pair of randy teenagers.

When they finally separated, they were struggling to breathe.

"I should," Draco licked his lips, "I should go unless you want to continue this on your bed."

She shook her head. "Too soon. But I don't want you to go."

"I don't want to go," he acknowledged, and then they were kissing again. Hermione's head was spinning, she couldn't think clearly, but she was pretty sure that they were supposed to stop.

"Okay," Draco interrupted their kiss again, "I should definitely go now. It's late, and the blood is beginning to leave my brain towards other parts."

Hermione giggled, because she knew where exactly his blood was now, but she stood up to let him stand up as well.

"I'm going to miss you," he declared. "Can we meet tomorrow?"

"We'll see," she answered with a smile. "I can't make things too easy for you now."

"You evil, _evil_ temptress, leading men on and then cutting them off. You're amazing," he sighed, and she giggled again.

They were a pair of idiots, she thought, absently.

* * *

Hermione Granger was a walking cliché, and she was well aware of it.

She owned a charming little café-bookshop, _The Winter's Tale_ (because that's where her name came from), specialized in female authors, and, because she just loved to read, she also had a nice library at her flat, complete with a grumpy fat cat and old carpets.

However, her romantic life wasn't what it once had been. Meaning, it now existed. She had a boyfriend whom she adored and spent lots of time with, and they both were ridiculously happy.

On the other hand, Draco Malfoy was also a walking cliché, but he would never recognize it, _no matter what Theo said_.

He was a lawyer, a very good one at that, and he would inherit his grandfather's law firm when his father, current owner and CEO, retired. Tall and blond, he was handsome and he knew it, and wore suits every day of the week because he knew he looked _positively edible_ in those (it also helped that Hermione loved him in suits).

He had once spent the evenings alone, but now he mostly spent them with his girlfriend: watching films, reading quietly, going out to the theatre, or just relaxing.

Together, they were a cliché couple: they thoroughly enjoyed each other's company and opinions, laughed together, fought little to nothing, had great chemistry, and were disgustingly cheesy. He attended when she organised author signings and always procured tickets for Shakespeare plays; she kept her house stocked with the coffee brand he loved and always remembered the little details he could tell her about his cases.

Sometimes, Draco appeared in her bookstore and took her to lunch, ignoring Ginny's knowing eyes and focusing on Hermione's smile. Other times, she packed a midday snack for him and drew a heart on the paper, which was cheesy and ridiculous but they both loved it.

Most of the time, they texted each other anecdotes, sent heart emojis, and took silly selfies.

And, no matter what the world thought, they kept on. They had relatively normal, happy lives, so what if they were a walking cliché?

Life had never felt this way before.

* * *

 _So this is it: the end._

 _What do you think? I had a great time writing this, and I hope you liked reading this. But tell me! Wgat did you like most? Are they a pair of idiots (they are)? Would you date this Draco (or this Hermione)? What was your favourite part? I'd love to hear your thoughts._

 _Thanks as always for your support and your existence, I loved publishing the fic :)_

 _LadyChocolateLover_


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